Technology-
The Exploration of Space investigated the tragedy in the sky that accured on January 28, 1986. At 11:38 a.m the space shuttle Challenger broke into millions of pieces, just seconds from take off. The seven passengers died instantly; classroom teacher Christa McAuliffe, Francis R. Scobee, commander; Michael J. Smith, pilot; mission specialists Judith A. Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, and Ronald E. McNair; and non-NASA payload specialist Gregory Jarvis, an employee of Hughes Aerospace. This was a pretty national event. It is rare that a space shuttle blows up almost immediately after its launch. On February 3rd, President Reagan announced an investigation on the accident. The specific failure was the destruction of the O-ring seals that were intended to prevent hot gases from leaking through the joint during the propellant burn of the rocket motor. This was one of the biggest events in technology, along with the computer. [The Challenger Accident .]
Challenger mid-explosion
The crew of Challenger
Culture-
According to Graham Jones, July 13th, 1985 was THE greatest concert for a cause. Multiple concerts took place all over the world to raise awareness for AIDS. It was known as the first truely global concert. Thanks to the latest satellite technology 1.9 billion viewers in 150 countries viewed the largest ever TV audience. These concerts around the world were for anyone and anyone that loved music, or even just wanted to help the cause. The concerts raised about $3 million that night, which had escalated to over $140 million in 1992. Most of the popular performers and music artists of the 80's were there to perform in one of the many locations. AIDS was a huge epidemic. LIVE AID brought attention to the issue with this series of concerts around the world. It is still in affect today. Bono of U2 is very active in the spread of knowledge about AIDS and what happens if it continues. AIDS was a huge problem then and it still is to this day. The latest the concert they had in 2005 had just as a big of an impact as the one in '85. [LIVE AID 1985: A Day of Magic .]
One of many locations of the Live AID concerts. JFK Stadium.
Live AID Promotional Poster
Cold War- On May 5, 1985 President Ronald Reagan visited the site where nearly 2,000 bodies lay to rest. 40 years ago American and Germans battled for peace and freedom. Since then there have been nearly 6,000 marriages between Germans and Americans, showing the change since the Holocaust. On May 5, Americans and Germans alike celebrated the reconciliation between the two nations.
[Remarks at a Joint German-American Military Ceremony at Bitburg Air Base in the Federal Republic of Germany .]
German-American Military Ceremony
Civil Rights- September 14, 1986 the Reagan family launched the campaign against drug abuse. Because of their efforts, drug law enforcement has more than tripled since 1981 and shortages of marijuana have been reported. The number of high school seniors using marijuana on a daily basis has dropped from 1 to 14 to 1 in 20. In 1986, over 10,000 "Just Say No!' clubs have been created all over the country. [On The Campaign Against Drug Abuse .]
Nancy Reagan at her campaign
Nancy Reagan at her campaign against drugs
Economics- Drugs in 1990 were a big thing to economics. They cost everyone money, but that didn't stop them. They created a different kind of cocaine. One that you could smoke, one that was cheaper than any other drug. If crack was never invented, there would be less deaths, less jails, and more money to make lives better. [An Open Letter to Bill Bennett
Courtney Technology
April 24, 1990 the United States space agency NASA , succesfully launced the space shuttle Discovery. Along with Discovery was the Hubble telescope to orbit above earth 380 miles. The telescope would operate from high above the atmosphere avoiding any interference with ground based telescopes. This telescope would be able to take pictures that could reach the edge of the known universe. This time period was known as the technology age and this telescope was just one of many that caused the technology boom. (Hubble Telescope Takes Off For Space) Culture
In 1985 a genius child prodigy achieved a starred first in mathematics at Oxford University. Ruth Lawrence, at age 13, was deemed the youngest British person to ever earn a first class degree and graduate from Oxford University. She achieved her degree in a meer two years opposed to most who earn the degree in the usual three years. (Teenage Genius Gets a First.) Cold War
On February 20, 1986 the Soviet Union launched the worlds biggest space station, Mir.In Russian Mir means peace and world in Russian. The Russian were leading a peaceful exploration of space. At this point in time the United States was having peace talks with the Soviets. The Cold War was coming to its end and trust was beginning to arise. (Soviets Launch Space Station Mir) Civil Rights
In 1988, Kelly Michaels was convicted of 115 counts of sexual abuse against the 20 children in her care at the Wee Care Nursery School, in Maplewood, New Jersey. The case started in April 1985, when a four year old boy was having a physical exam at the pediatricians office. The nurse rubbed his back and took a rectal temperature as the little boy remarked ,"thats what my teacher to me at nap time at school." The nurse reported that the child might have been sexually abused while at school. Over a two month investigation the police and social workers had interviewed the children and found she had abused all 51 students in her care. The details of what she was accused of doing to these children is beyond belief. In the end Kelly was sentenced to 47 years in prision. The appeals court appealed her case because they felt it was not a fair trial. Kelly was set free with a $75,000 bail and after a year and a half all charges were dropped and prosecuters declined to retry her. In this case Kelly's civil rights to a fair trial had been removed. According to the atricle the judge had quuestined the children in his chambers where he would sometimes whisper in their ears and ask them to whisper answers back to him. (Wee Care Nursery School) Economics
On March 24, 1989 the oil rig Exxon Valdez landed on the Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound. On impact the hull broke open and spilled some 11 million gallons of oil into the surrounding waters of Prudhoe Bay. In the following weeks and months the oil had spread through out Prince William Sound causing an unprecedented response and clean up. An oil spill of this magnitude costed the country a great deal of money. The clean up is still making progress. Multiple environmental groups are watching the sound and trying to get it back to where it was before the spill. (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill).
Technology-
The Exploration of Space investigated the tragedy in the sky that accured on January 28, 1986. At 11:38 a.m the space shuttle Challenger broke into millions of pieces, just seconds from take off. The seven passengers died instantly; classroom teacher Christa McAuliffe, Francis R. Scobee, commander; Michael J. Smith, pilot; mission specialists Judith A. Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, and Ronald E. McNair; and non-NASA payload specialist Gregory Jarvis, an employee of Hughes Aerospace. This was a pretty national event. It is rare that a space shuttle blows up almost immediately after its launch. On February 3rd, President Reagan announced an investigation on the accident. The specific failure was the destruction of the O-ring seals that were intended to prevent hot gases from leaking through the joint during the propellant burn of the rocket motor. This was one of the biggest events in technology, along with the computer. [The Challenger Accident .]
Culture-
According to Graham Jones, July 13th, 1985 was THE greatest concert for a cause. Multiple concerts took place all over the world to raise awareness for AIDS. It was known as the first truely global concert. Thanks to the latest satellite technology 1.9 billion viewers in 150 countries viewed the largest ever TV audience. These concerts around the world were for anyone and anyone that loved music, or even just wanted to help the cause. The concerts raised about $3 million that night, which had escalated to over $140 million in 1992. Most of the popular performers and music artists of the 80's were there to perform in one of the many locations. AIDS was a huge epidemic. LIVE AID brought attention to the issue with this series of concerts around the world. It is still in affect today. Bono of U2 is very active in the spread of knowledge about AIDS and what happens if it continues. AIDS was a huge problem then and it still is to this day. The latest the concert they had in 2005 had just as a big of an impact as the one in '85. [LIVE AID 1985: A Day of Magic .]
Cold War- On May 5, 1985 President Ronald Reagan visited the site where nearly 2,000 bodies lay to rest. 40 years ago American and Germans battled for peace and freedom. Since then there have been nearly 6,000 marriages between Germans and Americans, showing the change since the Holocaust. On May 5, Americans and Germans alike celebrated the reconciliation between the two nations.
[Remarks at a Joint German-American Military Ceremony at Bitburg Air Base in the Federal Republic of Germany .]
Civil Rights- September 14, 1986 the Reagan family launched the campaign against drug abuse. Because of their efforts, drug law enforcement has more than tripled since 1981 and shortages of marijuana have been reported. The number of high school seniors using marijuana on a daily basis has dropped from 1 to 14 to 1 in 20. In 1986, over 10,000 "Just Say No!' clubs have been created all over the country. [On The Campaign Against Drug Abuse .]
Economics- Drugs in 1990 were a big thing to economics. They cost everyone money, but that didn't stop them. They created a different kind of cocaine. One that you could smoke, one that was cheaper than any other drug. If crack was never invented, there would be less deaths, less jails, and more money to make lives better. [An Open Letter to Bill Bennett
Courtney
Technology
April 24, 1990 the United States space agency NASA , succesfully launced the space shuttle Discovery. Along with Discovery was the Hubble telescope to orbit above earth 380 miles. The telescope would operate from high above the atmosphere avoiding any interference with ground based telescopes. This telescope would be able to take pictures that could reach the edge of the known universe. This time period was known as the technology age and this telescope was just one of many that caused the technology boom. (Hubble Telescope Takes Off For Space)
Culture
In 1985 a genius child prodigy achieved a starred first in mathematics at Oxford University. Ruth Lawrence, at age 13, was deemed the youngest British person to ever earn a first class degree and graduate from Oxford University. She achieved her degree in a meer two years opposed to most who earn the degree in the usual three years. (Teenage Genius Gets a First.)
Cold War
On February 20, 1986 the Soviet Union launched the worlds biggest space station, Mir.In Russian Mir means peace and world in Russian. The Russian were leading a peaceful exploration of space. At this point in time the United States was having peace talks with the Soviets. The Cold War was coming to its end and trust was beginning to arise. (Soviets Launch Space Station Mir)
Civil Rights
In 1988, Kelly Michaels was convicted of 115 counts of sexual abuse against the 20 children in her care at the Wee Care Nursery School, in Maplewood, New Jersey. The case started in April 1985, when a four year old boy was having a physical exam at the pediatricians office. The nurse rubbed his back and took a rectal temperature as the little boy remarked ,"thats what my teacher to me at nap time at school." The nurse reported that the child might have been sexually abused while at school. Over a two month investigation the police and social workers had interviewed the children and found she had abused all 51 students in her care. The details of what she was accused of doing to these children is beyond belief. In the end Kelly was sentenced to 47 years in prision. The appeals court appealed her case because they felt it was not a fair trial. Kelly was set free with a $75,000 bail and after a year and a half all charges were dropped and prosecuters declined to retry her. In this case Kelly's civil rights to a fair trial had been removed. According to the atricle the judge had quuestined the children in his chambers where he would sometimes whisper in their ears and ask them to whisper answers back to him. (Wee Care Nursery School)
Economics
On March 24, 1989 the oil rig Exxon Valdez landed on the Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound. On impact the hull broke open and spilled some 11 million gallons of oil into the surrounding waters of Prudhoe Bay. In the following weeks and months the oil had spread through out Prince William Sound causing an unprecedented response and clean up. An oil spill of this magnitude costed the country a great deal of money. The clean up is still making progress. Multiple environmental groups are watching the sound and trying to get it back to where it was before the spill. (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill).